Shattered
by queenofthemoment10
Summary: Danielle wanted to have a normal life while hunting. But is that something she can have?


The hospital parking lot was moving with light activity as patients came in and nurses and doctors ended their shifts. Holding a door for patients coming into the emergency room a curly blonde haired nursed smiled wearily at their thanks. She said goodbye to her coworkers as she walked out to her car. Sliding into her 73' Chevy pickup and she rested her head against the headrest and sighed. At the end of her shift she always felt torn between getting a drink or getting breakfast. A drink at 7am was frowned upon by most even though it was her 5o'clock. Deciding on breakfast she turned the key and smiled as the old engine revved. Pealing out of the parking lot she drove to her favorite diner between her place and work.

Entering the establishment the waitresses greeted her and she took her usual seat in the corner at the counter.

"What'll you have today, Danielle?"

"Just the pancakes and some coffee. Thanks."

"Sure thing, hon." The older waitress jotted down the order and slipped it to the kitchen, "Rough night?"

"Not too bad, why?"

"Well last night I heard on the news bodies were turning up with their blood drained."

"I saw that. Whoever is doing it must not be leaving anyone alive because we haven't had anyone come to the ER with bites on their neck."

"It's those twilight books. People are getting too obsessed with those vampire books let me tell you."

Danielle chuckled softly, "Maybe, Sheryl…maybe."

"Well you be careful. Tell your fiancé to be careful too! His job is dangerous enough as it is, the poor dear."

"Don't I know it."

"You have everything together for the wedding? It's coming up fast."

"Mostly," she added sugar to the coffee in front of her.

"Have you been able to contact your brother?"

The young woman's hand stilled, as her smile faded, "No, not yet…but the wedding isn't for eight days so I've got time."

Sheryl's eyes softened at the young woman in front of her, "I hope you can get a hold of him. If you can't-"

"I'll find him" She interrupted annoyed; "Monday is my last night at the hospital till after the honeymoon. I'm going to reach out to some old hunting buddies of his again and see if I can get a lead. I'll find him."

The old woman gave her a sympathetic smile, "Of course dear. What about your younger brother?"

Worry washed over her. She hadn't heard from him in weeks. All she knew was there'd been a fire at his apartment and the number she had for him was disconnected…"I gotta go." She threw wadded bills on the counter ignoring the pancakes. Her appetite was gone. "I have some things to take care of."

* * *

She'd been watching the reports about the bodies turning up and after a week of leg work she'd finally pinpointed the vamp nest. Going in alone was stupid she knew but she didn't have any other hunters for back up. Most cut her off when she left, her father made sure of it. Parking a mile away she dug through her toolbox for a machete. Slamming down the lid she didn't waste anytime getting to the rundown house that served as their nest. Watching the house she wished her scrubs were better camouflage; pink scrubs definitely didn't blend in. She'd kept them on because she'd learned bloody scrubs are much easier to explain when you work in an emergency room than when wearing regular clothes covered in blood. Crossing the lawn she was startled when several panicked vamps burst out the front door. None seemed to notice her, as they were distracted by whatever they were running from; hefting her machete she looped of the first one's head and spun slicing into the second. The third barely registered the new threat when her blade cut through his throat. The steps creaked under her weight and the old porch groaned. Cursing under her breath at the noise Danielle pushed the cracked door open further. Searching the first floor turned up bodies of headless vampires, as she moved into the kitchen she gripped the handle tighter when she saw the a man standing with his back to her. Something about his movements seemed familiar as she circled to his left she saw he was cleaning off a blood-covered machete. She smiled when she recognized the tune he was whistling.

"Dean?"

He turned at the voice, the music on his lips stopped, "Dani?"

She tossed her machete onto the table and threw herself into his arms, "Dean!"

He clung to the sister he hadn't seen in nearly six years. Growing up they'd been inseparable, when she left for school a piece of him went with her, then when Sam left a couple years later…he felt like his whole world fell apart. She pulled away from him and his heart sank slightly.

"What the hell are you doing here?" her gray eyes took in every inch of him, memorizing all the changes from the last time she'd seen him.

"Hunting." He answered a little gruffly. She could see he was still miffed at her.

"Alone?" she raised her eyebrows at his attitude.

"Course not. I wouldn't come into a nest alone. I'm not an idiot."

She looked around nervously. Through the window she could make out the form of the impala hidden in the trees. "Dad…is he here?"

"No."

She could see he was hiding something, she thought it was strange her father wouldn't be there or that Dean wouldn't just tell her he was hunting something else in another state.

"Are you alone?"

She squirmed under the question, "You're lucky I came. Three vamps would have gotten away if I hadn't shown up. They're dead in the yard."

"You know you shouldn't hunt alone, Dani. Dad taught us better."

"Yeah well dad always said family is important and he was the first to ice me out when I said I wanted a degree.""

"Dani?" she turned to her younger brother's voice. Her eyes misted as relief flooded over her. Her baby brother had changed more than Dean had since she left. He'd grown and his hair was in his eyes.

"Sam" the name came out in a sob as he pulled her into a tight embrace, "I thought you were dead."

"I'm okay." He whispered

He squeezed her tighter. Having Dean back in his life had been great but he was missing a piece. His sister completed that. She was always the peacekeeper, the one he could talk to about the things he couldn't tell his father or Dean…the things they just didn't understand.

She stepped back to survey her brothers. Besides being covered in vamp juice both looked good. "Let's take care of these bodies. Then we can go to my place and get clean and catch up."

"Food?

She smiled at her brother's never ending appetite. "Yeah I have some leftover lasagna and a pie I made yesterday that we can have later. I have some breakfast food we can fix too."

Dean rubbed his hands together, "That pie has my name on it."

"Dude it's eight in the morning."

"Never too early for pie, Sammy."

* * *

Danielle pulled her pancake mix from the cabinet and gathered the rest of the ingredients. Setting the items on the counter she saw her brothers take a seat at her table.

"Oh no you don't. If you wanted to be served breakfast you should have eaten out."

Sam quickly stood with a guilty expression as Dean shifted uncomfortably. Setting a pan on the stovetop she began to assign jobs. "Dean you fix the bacon. Sam, set the table then put together a bowl of fruit. It's for Sam and I not you." she added when Dean wrinkled his nose.

Both instantly fell to their jobs with little complaining.

…

"Think you can leave a little bacon for the meal?"

Dean finished pushing a strip of bacon into his mouth, "I think I can leave a few strips."

She smiled and returned to her pancakes, "Sam the syrup is in the pantry on a middle shelf about eye level. Looks like we're almost done here too so go ahead and get out the juice for everyone."

Sam stood in front of the pantry for nearly a minute scanning for the syrup, "You sure it's in here?"

Danielle slid her last pancake onto the platter, setting them on the table she scooted Sam out of her way, "It's right here." She pulled out a bottle of blueberry and maple syrup.

"That's not eye level." Sam chuckled as his sister pulled the bottles off the shelf nearly level with his chest.

"That hasn't been eye level for Sammy in a long time."

"Well it's eye level for me."

"Oh we know, munchkin."

"I swear all the tall genes skipped me and went into Sam. It's not fair."

Dean grinned as he sat down rubbing his hands. "Let's dig in."

"I see you haven't lost your love for food."

"Nope!" Dean began to load his plate with food a Sam shook his head at his brother's antics. Danielle watched her brothers as they ate and was amazed at how she hadn't realized just how much she really missed them. Being back with them felt wonderful and she loved how easily they slipped back into each other's lives. Over the meal they filled her in on everything; their dad missing, Jessica's death, and much to her disappointment- Sam hunting again.

Dean's eyes wandered over the room "Trying to have that apple pie life aren't you? Guess you liked it better than being with us."

"Dean." Sam attempted to play the middle as usual.

Danielle pursed her lips; she'd wondered how long it would take for him to make a remark like that. "It's fine Sam. I'm trying to build a normal life..I got through school and graduated the top ten of my class. Got a job at the hospital I work at now right after graduation. I still hunt… just now instead of chasing a hunt I only go after something if it's at my front door."

"Aren't you just living the dream?"

She quickly blinked away the tears that were building "It hasn't been easy…not the school part…just being away and not really fitting in…. every body gets nervous around the girl who can fight and handle weapons like it's second nature…but it was worth it." Awkward silence fell over the table and Sam shifted uncomfortably as his sister fought back tears. Half of him wanted to comfort her; he'd forgiven his sister for leaving. When she left he was proud of her and she'd even inspired him to apply to Stanford. Dean clearly had different feelings. Over the course of the morning Sam thought Dean had moved on from it, but one thing he knew about Dean was that he was very good a burying how he really felt; he also knew if anyone could get Dean to open up it was Danielle. Taking his dish to the sink he excused himself. Past events told him that nothing he'd say would comfort his sister; only Dean could do that now.

"He chose to come back." Dean stated changing the subject.

"I know…he said as much…he just never wanted that life." Danielle kept her eyes on the floor.

"Yeah well you didn't either but look who I ran into in a nest."

"I never wanted to stop…just wanted a chance to see if I could make something more of myself. Besides I'm able to help people being a nurse."

"We save people all the time."

"We hurt a lot too. I didn't want to leave you. Not you and not Sam. You were there Dean…" her voice cracked "Dad practically threw me out when he found the acceptance letter…I tried to stay in contact with you….I was only going to try it for a year as a test run…but when Dad-"

"Yeah I know," Dean interrupted gruffly throwing his wadded napkin on his plate.

"Dean…please don't be mad at me…"

"Dani, I….you know….I could never stay.."

"I know, De. Thanks."

"When did you get engaged?"

Her heart soared, his question told her all was settled between them, "Almost a year ago."

"He treat you well?"

A smile spread across her face and she laughed on the inside. Leave it to Dean to go into protective big brother mode. "He treats me very well."

"What does he do?"

"He's a policeman. This is the house we'll be living in after the wedding."

She looked around at the small home that was only half unpacked. She'd already mostly moved in and he was waiting till after the honeymoon to move in his things. Somehow she'd turned out a little old fashioned. Probably had something to do with having three overly protective men in her life.

"Does he know about the things that go bump in the night?"

"If you were a normal guy and your girl told you she hunts the supernatural would you stay?"

"Probably not. When's the wedding?"

"It's next Saturday."

"Were you planning on telling us?"

"I've been trying everything to track you down. I don't have anyone's number anymore…I was going to drive to Bobby's on Tuesday as a last attempt to find you."

Dean looked a little guilty at that proclamation. "That's a twenty two hour drive from here."

"I know…. Dean, I want you to walk me down the aisle."

"That's Dad's job." Dean stood taking his plate over to the sink.

She followed and sat up on the counter facing him, "You know that's not true. Dad was barely around…you were always there for me not Dad."

Dean began scrubbing the plate, "He did his best, Dani."

"He left us in motels or dumped us on Bobby or Pastor Jim!"

"He did what he had to."

"How many birthdays did he miss?" She went on, "Or better yet how many did he even remember? Hell I'd ask Bobby to walk me down the aisle before I'd ask dad but I want you to do it! You're the one who taught me everything I know, who took care of me when I was sick, let me sleep in your bed when I was scared and you're the one who would comfort me when I was upset. I've looked up to you my whole life…I want you to be the one to give me away." She looked at him pleading. He was more of a father to her than her own dad ever was; growing up she craved his approval, not her father's. "Please, De."

He set the plate on the drying rack and shut off the water. Gazing out the window he mulled over what she was asking. Here she was trying to have a normal life and hunt at the same time and she was asking him to share a special moment with her. "Okay." He looked into her gray eyes, "I'll walk you down the aisle."

"Really?" her expression told him she expected more of a fight and that disappointed him.

"Yeah… can't have you walking down the aisle alone."

She squealed with delight and jumped off the counter into his arms. Squeezing him tightly she whispered thank you.

"Okay we'll need to go shopping so you'll have something to wear." She said earnestly resting her hands on his shoulders.

"I have a suit"

"Oh no. You're not wearing some rumbled old suit you use when you pretend to be FBI. Not to my wedding. Besides the wedding is casual so you don't need a suit."

"Since when did you get so picky about clothes?" Dean began rummaging her fridge for a beer.

"Since I stopped living with men and lived on a hall with seventy women."

Dean turned in mock annoyance, "And you never invited me over?"

"I liked those girls. Wouldn't dream of doing that to them."

"Very funny."

"Alright help yourself to anything in the fridge." Dean cracked open his beer, "Which you already have. You know where the bathroom is and here is the spare key if you guys decide to go out. Keep the noise down please it is way past my bedtime."

"I was thinking of throwing a rager."

"Do that and I'll screw with Baby."

"It'll be the last thing you ever do."

* * *

"That poor fiancé of yours. It's like you deteriorate in your sleep. Kinda looks like a ghoul doesn't she Sam?"

"You don't look so hot when you wake up either." Danielle glared while smoothing her hair.

"I always look hot."

"Sorry I slept so late. Usually I sleep from seven thirty till around four in the afternoon but I got to bed way later today."

"Don't worry about it." Sam assured her, "When can we meet your fiancé?"

"Jase finishes his shift soon. I don't go into work till eleven tonight so we could meet him at bar around eight if he's not to tired."

"Wow a nurse hitting the bar before work. That's what I want in an emergency room."

"I'm not going to drink!"

"Ahuh, go to the bar often?" Dean looked at her smugly

Danielle smiled slyly, "Yeah I like to go there and play pool."

"Thought darts was your game."

"Used to be. I don't know what happened but it's like pool finally clicked for me."

"This I gotta see." Sam leaned forward excitedly. He didn't like it when his siblings conned people but his sister was the worst pool player he ever saw.

"I don't believe it. She's all talk." Dean added

"I'll play ya."

"Care to make it interesting?" Dean rose to his little sister's challenge.

"Wouldn't have it any other way. How's a hundred dollars sound?"

"Make it two."

"Dean I was planning on beating you in more than one game. You really want to start with two hundred?"

"Munchkin, I'll kick your ass. The rest of those games will be you trying to get your money back."

"We'll see."

Sam sat watching his siblings puff their chests at each other. He shook his head laughing at the exchange. This was what he'd missed, not the hunting, not the training, or consistent worry that someone was going to get themselves killed. He missed watching his older siblings argue over who was better but in the end always being a team when it mattered. Part of him felt jealous of the bound they shared, but he also knew that they each had their own bound with each other; one that couldn't be broken.

* * *

"Alright smart ass last chance to make this game a hundred." Danielle leaned over the pool table with her cue poised.

"Just break 'em."

"Your money."

Dean's jaw nearly hit the floor when his sister sunk the eight ball without him even having a turn. Sam sat at a table near by with eyes wide in amazement. Blowing the tip of her stick Danielle smirked at their expressions.

"What's the matter boys? I told you I was better at every thing. Some things just took a little longer."

Dean cleared his throat and shifted his weight, "Who are you and what have you done with Dani?"

"Same old Dani." Danielle began pulling the balls from their pockets, "I've been practicing. It was a lot easier to do without you guys breathing down my neck."

"I want another round." Dean finally shook his stupor, "Double or nothin'. This time I break."

"Suit yourself."

Sam fell into a fit of laughter when Danielle beat Dean again.

"Son of a bitch." Dean brought back his arm to throw the cue and felt it slip from his hands.

"They get very upset when people throw these." Dean followed her glance to the bar where the bartender watched with hard eyes. Giving him an awkward wave Dean sat at the table with Sam letting his head fall into his hands.

"What'd you say guys, next round on me?" Danielle beamed clapping her brothers on the shoulder.

"Thought you weren't drinking tonight?"

"I'm not. Doesn't mean I can't buy you one. Especially you Dean…looks like you could really use one."

Danielle sauntered off to the bar

"Sammy remind me to never take a bet with her again."

"I don't think you'll listen when I do."

"Make me!" Dean rasped. "Four hundred bucks." he ran his hand over his face "Four hundred!"

"She tried to make it a hundred the first game. Should have listened."

"Thank you Samuel I didn't think that."

"It's Sam."

Danielle set two beers on the table, "Sure you don't need something stronger?" she looked at Dean, "I'm sure you want to forget the night your little sister sent you to school."

"Very funny," Dean took a swing of his beer, "When is that fiancé of yours getting here?"

"Excited to tell him how I kicked your ass?" Sam choked on his beer and Danielle sat grinning like the cheshire cat. "He texted me while I was at the bar. He should be here soon."

Dean slammed his beer on the table. "One more game."

"You want to be humiliated again?"

"We're changing the game. Darts this time."

Danielle exchanged a look with Sam, "Dean that's always been her game."

"Dani got so good at pool I'm thinking maybe she neglected playing darts."

"You want me to embarrass you at darts to? Alright." She shrugged

"Double or nothing."

"Dean I don't think that's-"

"Quiet Sam. What do you say, Dani?"

"I'll play you but not for money."

"Oh come on-"

"No. Bet something else or I won't play you."

"Oh come on-"

"No Dean. As much as I want to I'm not taking all your money. If you lose you'd have to give me another four hundred."

"I wasn't aware of that little miss mathematician."

"Dean, bet something else." Sam made another attempt.

"Be quiet." Danielle held up her hand.

Sam threw up his hands in exasperation and Dean made another attempt to argue, "I said be quiet!" Danielle paused to listen. Over the music and the murmur from the people in bar she could have swore she heard a woman shriek. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

A woman's shriek pierced through the air and this time Danielle didn't doubt what she heard. The three siblings ran out into the street. Scanning the area Danielle spotted a woman stumbling out of the alley sobbing hysterically. Danielle ran up to her and tried to get something out of her as the woman crashed into her arms.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Danielle visually checked her over noting a few scrapes on the woman's arms and a bruise forming on her neck; nothing that would leave any permit damage; at least not physically. Over the woman's shoulder she saw her brothers moving toward a figure that looked like it was struggling with something. No, not struggling with something…sucking blood from another man's neck. Vampire. Possibly one from the nest they'd cleared that morning, or a rogue one, or one from a different nest entirely.

"He seemed so nice." She sobbed "Fangs..he has fangs. He tried to help me."

"Who was trying to help?" Danielle tried to calm her as her brothers ripped the vampire off his victim.

"A policemen."

Danielle paled, "Get inside." He tone turned hard when the woman didn't move, "I said get inside now!"

She shoved the woman towards the door and ran to the alley. Pushing Sam aside she knelt beside the man and turned his face towards hers.

"Jase!" her voice cracked, "No no no."

Sam looked at his sister stunned, "I'm calling 911."

She gasped for breath as she kneeled over her fiancé trying to stop his bleeding. "His carotid artery is severed. His throat's ripped out. That vamp wasn't feeding on him….he was trying to kill him." Her blood soaked hands trembled over her fiancé, "I can't….I can't do anything…please don't…Jase please…don't go…don't." Sam's heart broke at the sob that escaped her lips.

* * *

Dean sat at his sister's kitchen table mulling over what he could do to help her. Instead of holding her hand down the aisle he held her hand as she watched her fiancé being lowered into the ground. A week and a half after the funeral she was still shut up in her apartment barely speaking to either one of them expect on one occasion when she screamed at them to leave her alone.

Dean ran his hand over his face in frustration. Sam had done a good job-keeping house and Dean had kept his siblings fed but he didn't know what he could do to fix everything. That was his job; to look after his siblings and hurt whatever hurt them. The fact that he couldn't take away his sister's pain was tearing him apart.

"She come out of her room today?" Sam's voice pulled him from his thoughts

"No." Dean sighed, "Didn't even touch the breakfast I left her."

"Dean what are we going to do? It's like she's losing her will to live."

Dean swallowed thickly, "Sammy I don't know what to do. Maybe you could try talking to her again?"

"Last time I tried that she threw a lamp at my head."

"Come on you're the one that's better with the touchy feely crap."

"Dean she didn't want to talk to me." Sam ran his fingers through shaggy hair, "I think you should try talking to her."

"What do I say?"

"I don't know Dean. You've always seemed to find the right words when it comes to her."

"Since when?"

"Since always. She'll always talk about the big stuff with you. Just try. All you've done so far is tell her to eat and to shower. Try to just be there for her."

"Have you smelled her?"

"I heard her in the shower this morning. Go talk to her."

"Fine. But if she throws a lamp at my head I might throw something back."

"Dean"

"Yeah" Dean turned back to his brother in the doorway.

"Go easy on her man."

...

Dean tapped lightly on the door to her bedroom. Pausing he waited for permission to enter but pushed the door open when he didn't hear a response. His sister sat on the floor of the bedroom looking through a shoebox of pictures. She didn't turn when he sat beside her. Peering over her shoulder he saw pictures of her and Jason together. She looked happy in every one of them.

"I didn't want to go out with him at first." She whispered, "I didn't want to date a cop while I was hunting. He was persistent though."

"How'd you meet?"

"At the hospital….this kid was shot during a drive by shooting. Jase rode with him in the ambulance and I was working when they brought him in. He visited that boy all the time while he was recovering. Past couple years he'd still see him…help him with homework and play basketball with him on the weekends. Jase kept asking me out after that day in the ER…finally I said yes and I fell head over heels in love with him."

Danielle stared at the picture in her hands. It was at a friend's wedding and she was dancing with Jason, it was one of her favorites. "It's all my fault."

"No, Dani. It's not."

"I couldn't save him. I'm a nurse and I couldn't save him. I just watched him die."

Dean pulled her into his chest, "You couldn't do anything."

"I should have known there was another vamp."

"You couldn't have known that."

"He's dead because of me," She clung to him as her tears soaked his shirt, "I miss him."

Dean rubbed her back as she sobbed into his chest, "None of it is your fault. You hear me? You didn't kill him, that vamp did."

Danielle continued to sob as Dean held her. After half in hour her tears subsided.

"I don't know how Dad did it." She muttered wiping at her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"You know I've never been a fan of how we were raised…but Dad is a hell of a lot stronger than I am…I don't know he got out of bed all those years…taught us anything."

"He had something to live for. Something to fight for…and I'm not just talking about revenge." She nodded as Dean squeezed her shoulder, "Let's get you something to eat okay?"

"Okay," she whispered softly as he pulled her to her feet. Dean led her out into the kitchen where Sam waited.

"Alright I'm going to make you guys the best grilled cheeses you've ever had." Dean rubbed his hands together as Sam gave his sister's shoulder a squeeze. Humming Led Zeppelin Dean began his chore. The kitchen was quiet except for the every now and then clatter of pans from Dean.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" Sam waited patiently for her to continue.

"How are you doing it? How do you get out of bed every morning since Jess died?"

Sam's eyes misted, "Honestly? Revenge. I want to kill the son of a bitch that killed her." Sam's jaw twitched, "Anger, hate and revenge…that's what gets me out of bed."

Dean listened quietly to his sibling's conversation. He knew Sam wanted revenge, he just didn't know how much anger was built up inside him.

Danielle looked about the house she was going to turn into a home with her fiancé. She imagined baking treats with her children in that kitchen, watching them take their first steps in the living room, hearing their laughter as they played in the back yard, "I can't stay here." Fresh tears stung her eyes.

"Come with us." Sam said as Dean set a plate in front of her.

"Yeah Dani. Let's kill some evil sons of bitches and raise a little hell."

The corner of her mouth twitched, "Let's do it."


End file.
